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Pens Points: Streak Snapped

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - FEBRUARY 2: Egor Chinakhov #59 of the Pittsburgh Penguins scores a goal in the first period during the game against the Ottawa Senators at PPG PAINTS Arena on February 2, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Coming off six straight victories, the Pittsburgh Penguins were due for a dud performance and that is exactly what they delivered in a 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators in their final home game before the Olympic break. Despite being badly outplayed most of the night, the Penguins did lead 1-0 in the first period and had the game tied at 2-2 with about five minutes left before old nemesis Claude Giroux scored the eventual game winner to halt the Penguins winning run. [Pensburgh]

It’s a quick turnaround for the Penguins who head to Long Island for a contest later this evening against the New York Islanders. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 PM and will be broadcast on TNT.

Pens Points…

Three games stand between the Penguins and the Olympic break, a number that will be down to just two following last night’s game against the Senators. They may be hot coming into the week, but it’s imperative they keep that momentum rolling heading into the hiatus. [Pensburgh]

While the Penguins understood why Bryan Rust was suspended, they were quietly fuming at the length of the suspension for a first time offender. That anger was multiplied over the weekend when franchise villain Tom Wilson was let off with nothing for a violent hit. [The Athletic $$]

In victories over the Blackhawks and Rangers, it was the Penguins depth scoring that did most of the damage when it came to putting the puck in the net. After seasons of weak depth that held the team back, it’s turning into a strength for the 2025-26 Penguins. [The Hockey News]

There were no splashy free agent signings for the Penguins last summer, but those players they did bring in have played like superstars this season. Anthony Mantha, Justin Brazeau, and Parker Wotherspoon have all outplayed their contracts and boosting the Penguins playoff push. [The Hockey News]

NHL News and Notes…

Jared McCann had a massive week for the Seattle Kraken and takes home First Star of the Week honors from the NHL. Tampa Bay goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy went unbeaten last week and capped it off with a goalie fights in the Stadium Series to nab Second Star. [NHL]

Following a career in hockey that has spanned over two and a half decades, Barry Trotz will step back and retire from his role as general manager of the Nashville Predators. Trotz will remain in the job until his replacement is named and will then transition into an adviser role. [NHL]

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Who will have the Yankees’ best season in the rotation this year?

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 02: Will Warren #98, Luis Gil #81, Gerrit Cole #45, Max Fried #54, Carlos Rodón #55, Cam Schlittler #31 and Clarke Schmidt #36 of the New York Yankees celebrate in the clubhouse after winning Game Three of the American League Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on October 2, 2025 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images

We’re three days into February, and by now you’re likely familiar with our new format to kickstart our days. The Yankee rotation was one of the focal points of the offseason right after the No. 1 priority of dealing with the outfield, and while they ultimately didn’t do much outside of adding some depth arms the starting staff will look a little different in 2026.

So with that being said, who will end up performing the best out of all of the Yankees’ options to start this season? They’re getting back their staff ace Gerrit Cole who could theoretically slide right back into the role, but there’s a couple of caveats. First, Cole is coming off of Tommy John surgery that cost him the entirety of last year, and he missed the first half of 2024 as well — you can hope that he merely avoided the surgery that he inevitably needed the next year, but none of that bodes well for Cole’s durability in the back half of his contract. So Cole is entering 2026 needing to get back into game form after a long time on the shelf, and he’s also going to miss at least the first month of the season to complete his recovery. That isn’t going to help his counting stats for an end of the year comparison, even if he does jump right back into Cy Young form when he does return to the mound.

That gives Max Fried a decent shot at taking the mantle for another year. The team’s big offseason signing last year delivered in Cole’s absence, finishing in fourth-place in the Cy Young voting after posting a 2.86 ERA and 4.8 fWAR over 195.1 innings. He’s the frontrunner to be the most valuable arm on the staff again as he enters 2026 healthy, though his performance last year was just a touch below the best of his career so it may be difficult for him to replicate that level of success in back-to-back seasons.

Similar to Cole, Carlos Rodón is starting the year on the shelf, giving him a bit of a disadvantage after he needed surgery in the offseason to remove some bone spurs. He is coming off of his best year in pinstripes in 2025, however, so he can’t be fully discounted should momentum carry him to new heights in his fourth season in the Bronx. Finally, the dark horse candidate to showcase a monster year is Cam Schlittler, the team’s breakout star at the end of last season. Schlittler impressed in his rookie campaign, posting a 2.96 ERA and earning 1.3 fWAR in just 73 innings of work, and his big coming out party came in Game 3 of the Wild Card Series where he delivered eight shutout innings to secure the victory. With the prospect of a full year on the roster coming up, Schlittler is poised for a strong sophomore season, and the delayed starts for some of the stalwarts of the rotation could guide him to the top should he remain healthy.

There’s no bad answer to have as your No. 1 entering October based on the resumes we’ve seen from each of them, but the tantalizing potential of a homegrown ace makes me lean me towards predicting Schlittler to top the list. Who would you say has the best chance to lead the pack this year? Let us know below.

On the site today, we’ve got Nolan running through the state of the Yankees’ outfield depth entering this year, with the scale tilting heavily towards the major league and upper minors side of the system. Matt wishes a happy birthday to a man with an incredible name in Chicken Hawks, Jeff previews Cody Bellinger’s season with him back in the fold in left field, and Peter reflects on the strange circumstances that led to Rafael Soriano’s signing with the Yankees after the 2010 season.

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Brew Crew Ball Daily Question: Which prospect are you most looking forward to seeing this spring?

Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Cooper Pratt throws to first base during spring training on February 17, 2025, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona. | Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Continuing our February Daily Question series, we’re beginning today’s conversation with the question, “Which prospect are you most looking forward to seeing this spring?”

Adam gave a minor league season preview yesterday, and just last week I covered some of the non-roster players the Brewers are inviting to spring training, including top prospect shortstop Jesús Made.

While everyone will certainly be watching to see how Made matches up with other big leaguers, is he the prospect you’re most looking forward to seeing? Or is there another name on the list — Luke Adams, Tate Kuehner, Luis Lara, Brock Wilken, Cooper Pratt, and Jett Williams, just to name a few — who you’re more excited about?

What about players on the 40-man roster who we haven’t seen yet? Jeferson Quero? Brandon Sproat?

There are plenty of names to keep an eye out for come spring training in a few weeks. I personally am most excited to see Pratt and Lara, specifically for their defensive prowess.

Weigh in in the comments, and join us throughout the month as we keep these conversations rolling into spring training. Have a question you’d like to ask in a future BCB Daily Question? Drop one in the comments and we may use it later this month.

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The Breakdown | England must overcome history of post-Lions hangovers to lift Six Nations title

In the professional era, there is a common denominator that suggests France and Ireland might be worth backing

All that performance data, all those fixture permutations. All the gym sessions and marginal selections. Not to mention all those finger-in-the-wind tournament previews. But what if identifying the winner of the 2026 Six Nations basically involves overlooking all of that – and is shaped by an underlying factor so simple that it is staring everybody in the face?

Interested in finding out what this magic bullet might be? OK, here goes. Without cheating (or consulting your new friend Monsieur AI), spot the common link in the following sequence of years: 2022, 2018, 2014, 2010, 2006, 2002, 1998, 1994, 1990, 1984, 1981, 1978, 1975, 1972, 1969 and 1967? Tricky, isn’t it? Even years, odd years, irregular gaps … if you were a statistician seeking a mathematical pattern you would be sat there gazing at the numbers for a long time.

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YouTube Gold: Zion Williamson Takes On The Hornets

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 02: Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans tries to knock the ball away from Miles Bridges #0 of the Charlotte Hornets during their game at Spectrum Center on February 02, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Zion Williamson is back in form, which is great. His year at Duke remains iconic, but injuries have plagued his NBA career. When he’s healthy though, no one can stop him.

We got a good glimpse of his game Monday night against the red-hot Charlotte Hornets.

At 6-6 and 284, and with immense power and verticality, Williamson’s offensive game is pretty simple: he’s usually going to take you as close to basket as he can get. You’re welcome to try to stop him, but good luck with that. He’s like a runaway freight when he gets going.

In this game, he finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds and two assists.

For the Hornets, fellow Brotherhood member Kon Knueppel finished with 17 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists, while Sion James had 3 points and 5 rebounds.

The Hornets got the win and are on a 7-game win streak and as hot as any team in the league.

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Transfer window verdict: how every Premier League club fared

Will Arsenal regret Nwaneri move? Have Sunderland traded brilliantly again? We run the rule over every team’s business

The foot injury sustained by Mikel Merino made the last few days of the window a bit more interesting for Arsenal supporters, although in the end there was no big signing. Deadline-day links to Sandro Tonali of Newcastle and Leon Goretzka came to nothing, and Arsenal missed out to their north London rivals Tottenham on the 18-year-old Scotland striker James Wilson. They did sign the England Under-19 defender Jaden Dixon from Stoke but will Mikel Arteta regret allowing Ethan Nwaneri to join Marseille on loan with Merino poised to be out for at least two months? Ed Aarons

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Shhhh, but the Celtics are getting better

BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 1: Head coach Joe Mazzulla of the Boston Celtics, left, looks on as head coach Doc Rivers of the Milwaukee Bucks directs his players during the first quarter at TD Garden on February 1, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The record doesn’t exactly show it, but Boston has been improving all year. After starting 11-9 through October and November, they steamrolled through December at 9-3, and slogged through a road-heavy January 10-6.

Despite the travel, last month was supposed to be the soft part of the schedule with nine games against teams under .500. Nailbiting losses to the Pacers and Bulls notwithstanding, the Celtics have been fairly consistent and to the chagrin of the haters, actually been getting better.

Without the three-point differential to count on, that’s meant gaining an advantage in possessions and more so, quality possessions.

After the Celtics talked so much about playing fast in training camp and during the preseason, they stormed out of the gates as, well, the slowest playing team in the league. As the season went along, it was more about re-defining the term “pace.” It wasn’t necessarily about getting out in transition. As I wrote after boat-racing the Clippers in early January:

Paradoxically for the Celtics, the slower “pace” is a matter of utilizing their speed and athleticism. They grind teams in the halfcourt with ball and player movement and constantly putting teams in jeopardy and making them make decisions with every screen, cut, and misdirection.

After averaging 97.13 possessions per game in December, they cut that done even further to 94.89 in January. Against the Bucks on Sunday, they beat Milwaukee by 28 points in 86.5 possessions. What Mazzulla has been able to do is condense the game in order to limit mistakes in a perfect 48-minute game.

We’ve seen improvements across the board. The genesis of this article was Sports Illustrated’s John Karalis tweeting this out Monday morning about the Celtics rebounding:

They’ve turned one of the biggest perceived weaknesses to a strength at Game #50. Part of that is inserting Luka Garza into the rotation. Jaylen Brown has also made it a priority for him to hit the glass, too. Defensive rebounding and closing out possessions has played a large part in Boston knocking on the door of a top-10 defense.

Boston has also benefitted on the league-wide trend of allowing defenses to play a little more physical. Opponent free throws have trended down since the start of the regular season: 28.7 in October to 26.1 to 20.8 to 18.8 in January.

It’s not as if they’re generating more turnovers and easier buckets on fast breaks. Instead, the trend is further allowing them to grind teams in the halfcourt. Roughly half of NBA shots are taken with 15-7 seconds on the shot clock and Boston allows the fifth-lowest eFG% (52.3%).

Offensively, Mazzulla has found ways to win the margins, too. the Celtics turnover rate has remained fairly consistent at around 12.2% or just under twelve TO’s a game. However, what’s been improving has been their assists. They averaged two more assists in January than they did in October and much of that has been from the bench. The Celtics second unit has the second highest true shooting percentage (59.2%) in the NBA; Anfernee Simons, Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, Josh Minott, and Luka Garza all shoot about 39% from behind the arc with Hugo Gonzalez trailing behind at a respectable 36.8%.

Here’s the scary thing: we can assume that anything that happens ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline will only improve the team and, oh yeah, there’s the impending return of Jayson Tatum.

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As Alabama loses with Charles Bediako, it reeks of desperation

Florida coach Todd Golden could barely control his amusement as he read the stats aloud after his team’s 100-77 rout of Alabama.

“We beat them on the glass. We scored 72 points in the paint,” Golden said. “Our bigs were really, really good.”

Alabama’s big, by comparison, is just a guy. A guy with professional experience, sure, but still just a guy.

Charles Bediako played three seasons in the NBA G League. He’d be a bench player at Florida. That’s the brass tacks.

You say Alabama winning just once and losing twice after adding a G League player is a show of karma’s muscle. I say it’s proof Alabama needed to go bigger. Coach Nate Oats rocked the boat for a guy who scored six points, before fouling out against the Gators.

Charles Bediako to Alabama stunk of desperation

Oats’ grab of Bediako reeked of desperation. Turns out, a 23-year-old center who was averaging four points in the G League won’t cure all that ailed Alabama. He’s no threat to snatch away the Wooden Award.

Go big or go home, I say.

Is there no 31-year-old Serbian dominating in Europe who could be lured onto a college campus with a mega-millions NIL deal?

If you’re willing to challenge NCAA rules, why stop at Bediako? For a more transformative roster move, try Oscar Tshiebwe. A former Kentucky star who left UK with a year of eligibility remaining, the 26-year-old Tshiebwe leads the G League in rebounding.

NCAA rules prohibit Tshiebwe from playing again in college. NCAA rules also stood in the way of Bediako. So, Bediako got a lawyer.

“Wait a minute, are people allowed to go back to school?” Tshiebwe wrote on social media last month.

As with many eligibility questions in college sports, the courts will answer that.

Never mind Gen Ed coursework, having a lawyer on speed dial is the first thing college athletes must learn nowadays. Second thing you learn: Hope you draw a judge who supports the home team.

Bediako hadn’t played college hoops in nearly three years before an Alabama judge who's listed as a Crimson Tide athletics donor awarded him the green light to suit up.

Bediako is scheduled for another hearing this week in front of a different judge, as his lawsuit against the NCAA proceeds.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the initial Bediako court ruling, former NBA player Amari Bailey hired a lawyer as he explores returning to college basketball.

NCAA rules prohibit eligibility for former college players with NBA experience, but you know the thing about NCAA rules? They’re ripe for a legal challenge.

Nate Oats follows four-step plan, while NCAA suffers

Four of Oats’ previous five teams advanced to at least the Sweet 16. This team, though, encountered persistent frontcourt deficiencies and struggled on defense. It lost two of its first three SEC games.

That helps explain why Oats looked to the G League for answers, shortly after he got on a soapbox about college teams adding international players with overseas pro experience.

In Bediako, Oats added a new page to the desperate coaches playbook: Bring back a college player who declared for the NBA draft nearly three years ago.

In doing so, Oats adhered to the four-step plan running wild and free within Division I coaching.

  • Step 1: Tsk, tsk the state of college sports.
  • Step 2: Find a way to further circumvent the rules. Usually, this step involves a lawyer.
  • Step 3: Say something like, “Hey, don’t blame me. Blame the system.”
  • Step 4: Bemoan the lack of enforceable rules and pretend you wish there were stronger guardrails.

On cue, Oats deployed Step 4 after the Florida game, when asked whether he’s concerned about the slippery slope of pro players playing for college teams.

“They need to come up with a set of rules that everybody agrees on and we follow,” said Oats, who added the NCAA needs rules that can withstand legal challenges.

Fact-check: The NCAA has rules to which its membership agrees. Then, members continually look to sidestep or legally challenge NCAA rules, when convenient.

As Oats points out, numerous college rosters feature international players with pro experience in foreign leagues. The NCAA permits this. Bediako is also not the first college player with G League experience.

Baylor, earlier this season, added Nigerian-born James Nnaji, a former NBA draft pick who played professionally in Europe. He’s averaging a whopping 1.2 points for Baylor.

Bediako, according to Oats, is a dual citizen in America and Canada.

Oats’ logic: If expats who played professionally in international leagues can suit up in college, then why can’t an American who played in the G League return to Alabama?

“Some people would argue that Charles has a better case to be eligible than some other guys playing in college basketball,” Oats said.

Not sure that argument holds up, upon scrutiny. Bediako left Alabama for the pros knowing NCAA rules dictate he'd surrender his remaining college basketball eligibility.

When, three years into his pro career, he decided he wanted to rejoin Alabama’s team, he sued the NCAA.

Bediako might win in court, but the Gators served him humble pie.

Six points. Five fouls. From a pro player. Alabama lost again and dropped from the polls.

That’s not karma. That’s proof that, even after desperately adding a "G League dropout," the team Oats built remains insufficient and incomplete.

Blake Toppmeyer is a sports columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alabama basketball tried desperate move with Charles Bediako. It failed

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Golden Knights bring losing streak into home matchup with the Canucks

Vancouver Canucks (18-32-6, in the Pacific Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (25-16-14, in the Pacific Division)

Paradise, Nevada; Wednesday, 10 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights will try to end a five-game losing streak when they play the Vancouver Canucks.

Vegas is 25-16-14 overall and 7-4-4 against the Pacific Division. The Golden Knights have a +11 scoring differential, with 181 total goals scored and 170 conceded.

Vancouver is 5-6-2 against the Pacific Division and 18-32-6 overall. The Canucks have a 7-8-4 record in games decided by a goal.

Wednesday's game is the first time these teams square off this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jack Eichel has 19 goals and 45 assists for the Golden Knights. Pavel Dorofeyev has seven goals and one assist over the last 10 games.

Drew O'Connor has 13 goals and eight assists for the Canucks. Teddy Blueger has five goals and one assist over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 3-5-2, averaging 3.5 goals, 5.8 assists, 2.3 penalties and 5.1 penalty minutes while giving up 3.6 goals per game.

Canucks: 2-7-1, averaging 2.2 goals, 3.6 assists, 2.9 penalties and 7.1 penalty minutes while giving up 3.8 goals per game.

INJURIES: Golden Knights: None listed.

Canucks: None listed.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Lightning host the Sabres after shootout win

Buffalo Sabres (32-18-5, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (35-14-4, in the Atlantic Division)

Tampa, Florida; Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Lightning -227, Sabres +186; over/under is 6.5

BOTTOM LINE: The Buffalo Sabres visit the Tampa Bay Lightning after the Lightning defeated the Boston Bruins 6-5 in a shootout.

Tampa Bay has a 35-14-4 record overall and a 7-3-1 record in Atlantic Division games. The Lightning have gone 13-4-2 in games their opponents commit more penalties.

Buffalo has an 11-4-2 record in Atlantic Division play and a 32-18-5 record overall. The Sabres are fifth in the league with 187 total goals (averaging 3.4 per game).

The matchup Tuesday is the first meeting of the season between the two clubs.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jake Guentzel has 24 goals and 33 assists for the Lightning. Nikita Kucherov has six goals and 15 assists over the past 10 games.

Tage Thompson has 29 goals and 28 assists for the Sabres. Alex Tuch has scored seven goals with three assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Lightning: 8-1-1, averaging 3.3 goals, 6.4 assists, 4.5 penalties and 13.2 penalty minutes while giving up 1.9 goals per game.

Sabres: 7-2-1, averaging 4.2 goals, 6.9 assists, four penalties and 9.9 penalty minutes while giving up 2.6 goals per game.

INJURIES: Lightning: None listed.

Sabres: None listed.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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76ers race out to early lead behind Tyrese Maxey, cruise to 128-113 win against Clippers

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The Los Angeles Clippers came out like a distracted team on the second night of a back-to-back. The Philadelphia 76ers came out red hot behind All-Star Tyrese Maxey, knocking down 3-pointers like they were shooting in an empty gym.

The result was the 76ers racing out to a 13-2 lead less than four minutes in — and their lead was never in single digits the rest of the night.

Philadelphia's lead ballooned up to 23 points, and while the Clippers made some runs, Maxey and Joel Embiid always had an answer. The result was a comfortable 128-113 win by the 76ers to start their West Coast Road trip. Maxey led the way with 29 points.

During the game, news broke that James Harden was pushing for a trade out of Los Angeles, and the Clippers were in talks with the Cavaliers about a possible deal to bring All-Star guard Darius Garland to LA. Harden was not in the building for this game, missing his second consecutive game for what the team listed as "personal reasons."

When asked if the rumors might have been a distraction to his players, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said he didn't know. To a man, the Clippers players said they knew nothing about it until after the game.

"It's a surprise…" Kawhi Leonard said. "Respect his decision, or whoever's decision it is. That's still gonna be my boy. Trust the front office."

The Clippers looked like a distracted team to start the game, not to mention one on a back-to-back (they played in Phoenix the night before) and one without its starting point guard. Philadelphia came out hot and raced out to a 16-2 lead, and everything snowballed from there.

By the end of the first quarter, Philly had doubled up the Clippers 38-19 behind 16 from All-Star starter Tyrese Maxey.
Maxey didn't score in the second quarter and Leonard scored 13 in the frame, but the Clippers could not get stops or close the gap, and the 76ers still led by 19 at the half, 72-53.

The 76ers' tradition of struggling in the third quarter continued, and the Clippers found their sea legs, closing the gap to 11 points for a moment. Still, the game never felt in doubt — every time the Clippers got close, the 76ers answered. Sometimes emphatically.

Two-way player Dominick Barlow had a career-high 26 points for the 76ers — 11 in the first quarter — along with 16 rebounds, and helped set the tone. Joel Embiid scored 24 points with five rebounds.

"It was good, everyone contributed, Dominick Barlow was great, Tyrese [Maxey] was great," Embiid said postgame. "The rest, everybody did their job, that was good to see."

Leonard led the Clippers with 29, while Jordan Miller scored 21 off the bench for LA.

Leonard and the Clippers face the Cavaliers on Wednesday, in a game that suddenly became a lot more interesting.

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Minnesota faces Toronto for non-conference matchup

Minnesota Timberwolves (31-20, fifth in the Western Conference) vs. Toronto Raptors (30-21, fourth in the Eastern Conference)

Toronto; Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Minnesota Timberwolves take on the Toronto Raptors in non-conference play.

The Raptors are 14-11 on their home court. Toronto is at the bottom of the Eastern Conference shooting 34.0% from 3-point range.

The Timberwolves have gone 14-12 away from home. Minnesota ranks sixth in the Western Conference with 44.9 rebounds per game led by Rudy Gobert averaging 11.3.

The Raptors average 113.6 points per game, 0.9 fewer points than the 114.5 the Timberwolves allow. The Timberwolves average 14.3 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.6 more made shots on average than the 12.7 per game the Raptors give up.

TOP PERFORMERS: Brandon Ingram is averaging 21.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists for the Raptors. Scottie Barnes is averaging 19.6 points over the last 10 games.

Gobert is shooting 70.3% and averaging 10.7 points for the Timberwolves. Donte DiVincenzo is averaging 3.5 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Raptors: 6-4, averaging 112.4 points, 43.2 rebounds, 29.3 assists, 7.8 steals and 5.8 blocks per game while shooting 47.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.6 points per game.

Timberwolves: 4-6, averaging 115.8 points, 45.6 rebounds, 24.9 assists, 9.3 steals and 6.9 blocks per game while shooting 46.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.4 points.

INJURIES: Raptors: Jakob Poeltl: day to day (back).

Timberwolves: Terrence Shannon Jr.: day to day (foot).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Utah faces Indiana on 6-game slide

Utah Jazz (15-35, 13th in the Western Conference) vs. Indiana Pacers (13-37, 15th in the Eastern Conference)

Indianapolis; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Pacers -3.5; over/under is 236.5

BOTTOM LINE: Utah aims to stop its six-game skid with a victory over Indiana.

The Pacers are 10-17 in home games. Indiana is 9-18 when it has fewer turnovers than its opponents and averages 13.6 turnovers per game.

The Jazz have gone 5-18 away from home. Utah gives up 127.0 points to opponents and has been outscored by 9.0 points per game.

The Pacers average 110.7 points per game, 16.3 fewer points than the 127.0 the Jazz allow. The Jazz average 118.0 points per game, 0.4 fewer than the 118.4 the Pacers give up.

The two teams square off for the second time this season. The Jazz defeated the Pacers 152-128 in their last meeting on Nov. 12. Lauri Markkanen led the Jazz with 35 points, and Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 27 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Siakam is averaging 23.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and four assists for the Pacers. Andrew Nembhard is averaging 15.1 points over the last 10 games.

Markkanen is averaging 27.4 points and 7.1 rebounds for the Jazz. Ace Bailey is averaging 15.3 points and 5.1 rebounds over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Pacers: 4-6, averaging 110.3 points, 43.9 rebounds, 29.3 assists, 7.3 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 45.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 118.5 points per game.

Jazz: 1-9, averaging 113.0 points, 41.1 rebounds, 30.4 assists, 8.4 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 47.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 127.1 points.

INJURIES: Pacers: Obi Toppin: out (foot), Tyrese Haliburton: out for season (achilles).

Jazz: Keyonte George: out (ankle), Georges Niang: out (foot), Walker Kessler: out for season (shoulder), Jusuf Nurkic: out (rest).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Kings take on the Grizzlies on 9-game losing streak

Memphis Grizzlies (19-29, 11th in the Western Conference) vs. Sacramento Kings (12-39, 15th in the Western Conference)

Sacramento, California; Wednesday, 10 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Sacramento aims to break its nine-game skid when the Kings play Memphis.

The Kings are 8-25 against Western Conference opponents. Sacramento is 3-3 in games decided by 3 points or fewer.

The Grizzlies have gone 15-17 against Western Conference opponents. Memphis is seventh in the Western Conference with 14.4 fast break points per game led by Ja Morant averaging 2.7.

The Kings score 110.2 points per game, 6.6 fewer points than the 116.8 the Grizzlies allow. The Grizzlies' 45.5% shooting percentage from the field this season is 3.6 percentage points lower than the Kings have given up to their opponents (49.1%).

The teams meet for the third time this season. The Grizzlies won 115-107 in the last matchup on Dec. 1. Zach Edey led the Grizzlies with 32 points, and DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with 23 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: DeRozan is averaging 19.2 points and 3.9 assists for the Kings. Zach LaVine is averaging 15 points over the past 10 games.

Jaren Jackson Jr. is averaging 19.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks for the Grizzlies. Cedric Coward is averaging 2.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Kings: 1-9, averaging 110.1 points, 42.9 rebounds, 25.4 assists, 6.4 steals and 5.0 blocks per game while shooting 47.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 119.0 points per game.

Grizzlies: 3-7, averaging 114.2 points, 43.8 rebounds, 28.4 assists, 7.7 steals and 5.8 blocks per game while shooting 45.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.5 points.

INJURIES: Kings: Russell Westbrook: day to day (foot), Keegan Murray: out (ankle), Domantas Sabonis: out (back).

Grizzlies: John Konchar: day to day (neck), Scotty Pippen Jr.: out (toe), Ja Morant: out (elbow), Santi Aldama: day to day (knee), Zach Edey: out (ankle), Brandon Clarke: out (calf).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.